


Better Late Than Never

by ZellieAlmasy



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-07-26
Packaged: 2018-04-11 07:02:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4425938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZellieAlmasy/pseuds/ZellieAlmasy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dorian had learned to never expect "more" to come of a relationship.  When Cullen finally offers to take the next step, Dorian reacts instinctively.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Late Than Never

It had been the same routine all week: Dorian slept through the morning, finally dragged himself out of bed, moped in the library until he couldn’t take it any longer, then retreated to the Herald’s Rest in an attempt to drown himself at the bottom of several bottles of wine.

He was a fool. A giant, idiotic fool who had something wonderful - something he would have never dared to dream of having - and with one word, he managed to ruin everything.

As Dorian sat in a remote corner of the inn with his first bottle of wine for the evening, a familiar dreamy voice spoke up beside him.

“His arms feel strong and safe. But it’s foolish to hope for more.” Dorian glanced up at the spirit, watching Cole’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. “You said no.”

“What is it, Cole?” Dorian sighed. He didn’t mean to snap, but he didn’t care to have his bad mood rubbed in his face.

“You hurt so loudly.” The spirit glanced across the room, eyes distant. “And so does he.”

Dorian didn’t need to ask who Cole was referring to. If he were to follow the spirit’s line of sight past the wall and through the courtyard, Dorian was certain it would lead directly to Cullen’s tower. With a slight cringe, he took a gulp of wine straight from the bottle before he replied, “And it’s entirely my fault. I know.”

Cole invited himself to take a seat near Dorian as he continued, “It was a chance to be happy. Something you thought you could never have.”

“Not helping, Cole,” Dorian grumbled as he chugged more wine.

“It’s not too late to say yes.”

Dorian shook his head with a derisive snort. “I imagine I’d be the last person he wants to see, after what I’ve done.”

Cole glanced down, concentrating as he spoke. “Heart pounding in his chest. The tickle of a moustache against his lip, his jaw, then his neck… He’d give anything to feel that way again.”

“ _Cole,”_  Dorian snapped, voice wavering as he gripped his wine bottle more tightly.

Seeing that he had upset his friend, Cole frowned sympathetically. “I want to help, but I can’t. Not this time. You can fix this, Dorian.”

The mage leaned forward on the table, rubbing his temple. His relationship with Cullen had been so good. Instead of some drunken one-night stand, it was an actual  _relationship_. Dorian never thought he would ever find such happiness. He was more in love with Cullen than he thought possible, though now he regretted never saying those words aloud. Instead, he ran away from his feelings.

It was an evening just like any other they had spent together. They walked alone along the ramparts, admiring the clear night sky, when Cullen spoke up and broke the silence. Dorian barely registered a word Cullen had said. His head was swimming, but he knew what was about to happen. It couldn’t be real, he told himself. This would never happen.

But it did. Cullen lowered himself to one knee and presented Dorian with a stunning gold ring engraved with a serpent and a glimmering diamond for its eye. The mage felt his heart drop to his stomach. Every bit of him wanted to say yes, but the actual words he spoke were, “I can’t.”

Growing up in Tevinter, Dorian had accepted the fact that he would never have a serious relationship, let alone be married. Marriage was never for love, anyway. He had seen many couples that wed only by order of their parents, only to grow to resent each other over time. Dorian couldn’t bear the thought of that ever happening to him and Cullen, so he panicked and turned down the proposal. Since then, he’d been purposely avoiding Cullen, certain that he had given their relationship a death sentence.

But Cole suggested otherwise, that Dorian was lucky enough to have a second chance to correct this mistake. He took one more gulp of wine for courage and set the bottle down with conviction as he stood from his chair. “Thank you, Cole,” he said, forcing a little smile as he turned to leave.

As he climbed the stairs to Cullen’s tower, Dorian still didn’t have a clue what he should say. How would someone even begin to apologize after breaking someone’s heart like that? He thought of turning back nearly a dozen times, but Dorian knew he had to keep going. This wasn’t Tevinter, he reminded himself, and he did have the freedom to marry for love. With a deep breath, he finally knocked on the Commander’s door.

“I’m busy,” Cullen’s familiar voice called from the other side. “Whatever it is, give it to Leliana.”

Naturally, Cullen assumed this was another one of his soldiers. Dorian slowly opened the door, peeking inside. The Commander was at his desk, encumbered by a mountain of scrolls. Knowing Cullen, he had most likely taken on all this extra work as a distraction, the same way Dorian had turned to wine. The man himself looked a bit haggard, with the bags under his eyes even more noticeable than usual and his scruff starting to grow out. Dorian idly wondered how long it had been since Cullen had eaten.

He slowly entered the room, finally speaking up, “If you insist, though I’m certain she’d be quite perplexed as to why I would be begging her forgiveness.”

At the sound of Dorian’s voice, Cullen immediately lifted his head and moved across the room before the mage could finish his sentence. Dorian didn’t realize that the Commander could move so quickly while wearing all that armor.

“Dorian,” he gasped, immediately wrapping his arms around the other man. “Thank the Maker.”

They stood in silence for a moment, just holding one another. Dorian already felt a lump in his throat at Cullen’s unwavering acceptance. He had no idea what he had done to deserve this man.

“I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that,” Cullen continued as he slowly pulled away. “I’m so sorry.”

“Amatus,” Dorian smiled softly and shook his head in response. “You aren’t the one who needs to apologize.”

“I thought I had done something wrong, that I scared you off–” Cullen sighed, taking Dorian’s hands in his own. “We don’t have to be married if you aren’t ready. I’m happy with what we already have. So please stay.”

This was not what Dorian had expected. Cullen should have been angry at him while Dorian pleaded for a second chance. This man really was too good to be true. In that moment, Dorian knew without a doubt that he had no intention of ever letting this man go.

“Cullen Stanton Rutherford,” Dorian said as squeezed the other man’s hands, “I cannot imagine living the rest of my life without you in it. And it would be a shame to put such a lovely ring to waste, so yes. I would love nothing more than to be your husband.”

Overcome with emotion, Cullen cupped the sides of Dorian’s face and pulled him into an enthusiastic kiss. The mage wrapped his arms around Cullen's shoulders, pulling him close as he leaned back against the door.

As they savored their kiss, they were suddenly interrupted by the door at the other end of Cullen’s office as it swung open. “Commander, Sir, I–”

“Leave us!” Cullen barked over his shoulder at the unsuspecting footsoldier who stood gaping in the doorway. Dorian simultaneously raised his hand, using magic to slam the door in the poor boy’s face. While he was at it, he also constructed a basic barrier spell around the office to prevent any further interruptions.

“Now where were we…?” Cullen muttered as he leaned in, kissing along Dorian’s jaw.

“I believe this,” Dorian gently rapped on the iron plate covering Cullen’s chest, “was about to come off?”

Cullen slowly pulled away with a smirk. “Up the ladder.”

Dorian didn’t need to be told twice. He eagerly clambered the ladder up to the bedroom area with Cullen close behind. At the top, they paused for one more quick kiss before they pulled away to start undressing. While Cullen removed his heavy armor, Dorian started unfastening all his belts, dropping the equipment wherever it happened to fall.

Wearing just his tunic and pants, Cullen turned back to Dorian, who was completely shirtless. Cullen wrapped his arms around Dorian’s waist, glad to hold him close without all that bulk in their way. It seemed neither of them were in much of a hurry. They had the entire rest of their lives to spend together. There was no point in rushing now. Dorian leisurely nosed along Cullen's jaw, peppering his skin with kisses while Cullen's hands roamed over Dorian's back.  
  
They slowly began moving together towards the bed. As the back of Dorian's knees hit the mattress, he carefully lowered himself, tugging Cullen down with him. He laid back onto the pillow as Cullen leaned over him, catching his lips in a soft kiss. After a moment, Dorian, began tugging at the hem of Cullen's tunic. The Commander leaned up and gladly pulled the clothing over his head. As he admired the view, Dorian ran his hands over Cullen's torso, idly tracing over his scars while he appreciated the other man's form.  
  
With his chest finally bare, Cullen leaned back down, enjoying the feel of Dorian's skin against his own. He pressed their lips together once more for a brief kiss before moving along the mage's jaw and down his neck. Dorian curled his fingers in the other man's hair, gasping softly as Cullen flicked his tongue over a nipple. He raised his eyes to watch for Dorian's reaction as he gently bit down, using his hand to pinch at the other nipple.  
  
“Ah, Amatus...” Dorian groaned, gripping Cullen's hair more tightly.  
  
With Cullen, Dorian could always tell that this was more than just feeling good. Cullen practically worshiped Dorian's body, which the mage never experienced with any of his past flings. It practically drove him crazy. Arching his back, he writhed needily beneath Cullen.  
  
As he slowly continued to kiss his way along Dorian's torso, Cullen started tugging at Dorian's pants. The mage lifted his hips to help Cullen remove the final bit of clothing. After tossing the pants aside, Cullen returned his attention to Dorian, kissing him teasingly on the inner thigh.  
  
However, the unkempt bristle along Cullen's jaw was a bit longer than Dorian was accustomed to. Feeling the hair brush against his skin, the mage bit his lip, trying his hardest not to laugh. “Cullen, your beard--” He trailed off, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.  
  
“Mm, what about it?” Cullen smirked as he glanced up, brushing his cheek against Dorian's thigh once again.  
  
“S-stop that!” Dorian couldn't help but laugh more heartily. “You're doing that on purpose now!”

Despite all of Dorian's previous escapades, Cullen was the first man to ever make him laugh during their intimate moments. The first time it happened, Dorian almost felt embarrassed. Sex was supposed to be rough and intense, not some kind of joke. But he soon realized that mindset wasn't exactly right. It felt great to finally be able to relax and just have fun with someone he truly cares about.  
  
Cullen grinned widely at Dorian's reaction and kissed his thigh as a means of apology, careful not to brush his scruff against him again. The mage responded with a pleased sigh, but Cullen was determined to hear more noises from Dorian.  
  
“Amatus…” Dorian tugged gently on Cullen’s hair, trying to urge him to keep going. He was so close, Dorian could feel Cullen’s warm breath on his skin. It made his cock twitch in anticipation, yet Cullen kept his mouth just out of reach. 

“Patience,” Cullen mumbled softly, lips brushing against Dorian’s skin. As much as he enjoyed the mage’s little pet name for him, sometimes Cullen liked to see what it would take to get the man shouting his actual name, so he continued to tease.

Thankfully, it never took very long to reach that point. Cullen ran his hands over Dorian’s hips, slowly lapping his tongue over the base of Dorian’s length. After a string of Tevene curses, the mage gripped those golden curls more tightly as he finally cried out, “Cullen,  _please!_ ”

The Commander rewarded him by leisurely dragging his tongue up the rest of Dorian’s arousal, taking just the tip into his mouth for now. Dorian attempted to rock his hips upward, looking for more, but Cullen held his hips down as he sucked gently, sliding his tongue firmly over the slit. Dorian shuddered, writhing beneath Cullen as he forced his eyes to stay open and watch him work.

The Commander glanced upward, cheeks coloring slightly as he met Dorian’s gaze. Even with a cock in his mouth, Cullen still somehow managed to blush. For Dorian, it was a perfectly maddening image. The man’s demure nature was sure to be the death of him.

Instead of lowering his head further, Cullen suddenly pulled away. “What, no,” Dorian grumbled. “Don’t stop…”

“I’ll only be a moment, love,” Cullen replied as he leaned over, reaching for the nightstand. He reached into the drawer and pulled out a bottle of oil, which he quickly spread over his fingers. By the time he finished, Dorian had already parted his legs in anticipation. Cullen settled back, carefully pressing a finger into Dorian.

“You don’t always have to be so gentle,” Dorian smirked as he rocked his hips down. “I can handle more.”

Cullen was also starting to feel a bit impatient as well, so he gladly added a second finger. This time, as he leaned down to take Dorian back into his mouth, he continued down, taking in as much of the other man as he could, which earned him a loud, needy moan from Dorian.

For the moment, Cullen kept a slow, steady pace. His own arousal had grown more difficult to ignore as it achingly pressed against the front of his trousers. With his free hand, he reached down, palming himself through his pants. As Dorian continued to press more needily against his hand, Cullen soon added a third finger as well.

“Mm, that’s enough, Amatus,” Dorian breathily interjected after a moment. “Need… Need you closer.”

Cullen slowly pulled away, giving one final lingering lap with his tongue as he sat up. Dorian shuddered at the sensation, watching as Cullen finally removed his own trousers. The mage hungrily ran a tongue over his lower lip as he watched Cullen slick his own length with oil, then moved into position above Dorian.

Finally, Cullen began to guide himself inside. He knew he didn’t have to be so gentle, but he meant to take things slowly that night. Cullen wanted to express to Dorian exactly how he felt. Once his hips were pressed flush against Dorian’s, he paused, leaning in for a soft, yet passionate kiss. Dorian wrapped his arms and legs around Cullen, happy to just hold him close for a moment.

As Cullen started to slowly roll his hips, he trailed his kisses along Dorian’s jaw, up to his forehead, then his cheeks, and especially on that charming freckle at the corner of Dorian’s eye.

In one touch from Cullen, Dorian felt more love than he had known in his whole life. He clenched his jaw as he started to feel that lump in his throat again. Dorian was determined not to tear up, and especially not now, of all times. Sensing the other man’s apprehension, Cullen paused, looking at him with concern. “Is everything all right?”

Dorian swallowed thickly, nodding slowly as he replied. “Better than all right.”

Cullen understood perfectly. He smiled warmly and pressed another quick, soft kiss to Dorian’s lips. “Me too.”

They continued a slow, lazy rhythm together, savoring the moment. With a soft groan, Cullen buried his face against Dorian’s shoulder as he started to press inside him more firmly.

“Fuck, Cullen…!” Dorian gasped, jerking his hips as Cullen hit just the right spot. “Yes, right there!”

Urged by Dorian’s moans, Cullen started to pick up the pace. Dorian raked his nails down Cullen's back, muttering incoherently in Tevene as he rocked his hips along with their rhythm. It wasn't long before they both started to feel their climax creeping up on them. Cullen slipped a hand down between them, taking Dorian into a firm grip as he stroked him in time with his thrusts. Just a moment later, the mage groaned loudly as he released into Cullen's hand. After a few more thrusts, Cullen followed right behind him, crushing their lips together in a desperate kiss.  
  
They rested their foreheads together as they began to wind down, gasping to catch their breath. Cullen caught Dorian's lips again for one more kiss – followed by a second, and finally a third – before settling in beside him.  
  
Dorian remained close, resting his head against the other man's shoulder as they laid together. After a moment, he finally broke the silence, “Cullen?”  
  
“Mm?” he responded with a gentle nuzzle.  
  
“I should have said this long ago, but...” Dorian's hand found Cullen's and held on tightly. “I love you. More than words can say.”  
  
Cullen's chest tightened at those words. He knew enough of Tevinter culture to know the impact it had on Dorian, making him skeptical of ever having a meaningful relationship. He was also already aware of Dorian's feelings, but it still felt so good to hear the mage say it out loud. “I feel the same,” Cullen replied, grinning widely.  
  
Looking back, Dorian couldn't believe he was so foolish to have almost completely ruined his future with Cullen. It was an idiotic, knee-jerk reaction. As they laid silently together, slowly falling asleep, Dorian was more certain than ever that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this man.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Another prompt that was given to me! This one got a bit out of hand. I just... kept going. And it's sickeningly sweet. So sorry for that, haha. Also sorry if I suck at writing Cole. He's extremely enigmatic, whereas my style is more straightforward, so oop.


End file.
